PCMark7

PCMark7 is a performance benchmarking suite which tests performance of various areas of your computer. It also differs from many benchmarks because it simulates typical usage by putting your machine through a gauntlet of tests from loading web pages, virus scans, file transfers, to gaming and starting applications. When using an SSD, there are two things we'll likely notice for the "typical" user: loading applications and gaming. We'll also report the overall PCMark7 Storage Score through all of its drive tests.

PCMark7 provides a great metric to determine how noticeable of a difference SSDs will make to you, in a real-life setting. We see almost no difference between any of the Sandforce drives we've tested, so if you're simply looking to boost your load times in between levels, the best deal at the time will suit you nicely, and the Pyro series will most likely be one of the drives at the top of consideration based upon that criteria. When it comes to another thing people are hoping to boost with an SSD, application starting, we see the Pyro SE fits square in the middle of the budget asynchronous drives, and the performance, Toggle NAND drives like the Wildfire. Most applications will launch almost instantly with any of these drives, but if you're loading intensive CAD, image editing, or rendering programs often, you'll likely notice a small boost going with the Pyro SE over the Pyro, but it may be difficult to justify the leap to the Wildfire or Vertex 3 Max IOPS.